Over the last few years I've gone from doodling on paper, to my smartphone (too small!) to my android tablet (better but has issues). My tablet has a 9 inch screen and has served me well at improving my digital drawing skills, but since it isn't very powerful I've been limited on canvas size and the amount of detail I can cram into one image. Also, the pen that I bought for my android had no pressure sensitivity, which was kind of a bummer.

Last week I finally got my new graphics monitor which is a Huion Kanvas 191! After getting it all set up and using it for a week it's pretty safe to say that despite the few flaws it has I am in love with it :D

Here is what the screen looks like (19.5 inches size)

This monitor is on the cheaper end as far as these things cost, a similar sized one from Wacom costs around 2k!!!! and this one cost me 600$ CAD with taxes and shipping. Now I am sure there are some drawbacks compared to the wacom version but if you aren't able to spend 2k and you still want to get a nice sized screen this was definitely the best deal I could find.

The box:

Pros

Everything you need comes in the box unless you have a mac, then you will need a thunderbolt adapter. You get:

• the monitor
• a stand (includes a screwdriver to attach it which is a nice touch!)
• 2 pens, a stand, and eight backup nibs
• a glove (this allows your hand to slide across the screen and also prevents oil from making it dirty)
• a screen protector (protects the glass but also has a nice texture)
• all the wires needed
• microfiber wipes

Glove and pen:

The size!

The size feels absolutely perfect for me, obviously this is a massive upgrade for me but I was still amazed how much easier it felt to draw/paint. I am actually able to make more natural long strokes, funny enough this felt unnatural at first as I was used to being so much more restricted, lol. The screen protector somewhat dims the colors but I tend to leave it on because the texture makes it feel a bit more like putting pencil to paper.

Responsiveness and accuracy!

There seems to be no lag at all when making a stroke, or it is so small that I can't even notice it. The only time I have noticed a small lag is if I am using a massive textured brush but that is pretty normal and down to my computers processing power. The nib to cursor is also very accurate. I had read a few complaints about this, some people had to calibrate multiple times. I guess I was lucky. There is a small issue at the edge of the screen. I'll address that in Cons.

Pressure sensitivity

This has been the game changer for me. It took a heck of a lot of tweaking in my brush settings to get things how I want them but I think I have it pretty much worked out. There are lots of options for how to do this and they are based on personal preference. I don't like increased pressure to increase size for my paintbrushes, I prefer to increase opacity. It's kind of trippy for me to have this option but I LOVE IT!

Cons

Contrast and color

The first thing I noticed was the color and contrast were off compared to my reference screen. The contrast seemed duller and black was giving me a reddish tinge?

After messing around with the calibration I managed to get the color issue sorted but I still find the contrast to be a bit weak. Continued fussing may resolve this, fingers crossed. It isn't a huge difference but it is noticeable.

Pen inaccuracy on the edge

This is another issue that I was warned about when reading reviews. I tend to drag my canvas around and paint/draw in the middle so for that it isn't a problem. But when grabbing a slider along the edge the pen is quite off. It's funny that I have already adapted to this and know how to compensate, I guess our minds are pretty malleable.

Button mapping

There are two buttons on the pen that come pre-mapped to left and right mouse click. I re-mapped mine to have a ctrl+z and at first it didn't seem to stick. I had to do this a few times and it seems to work now. I'm not sure if it will stick this time, I may have to do it again, let's see!

Final Verdict

10/10 would buy again! If I was a millionaire I would probably spring for a top of the line model because... why not? With the budget that I had though the performance of this monitor has been pretty stellar. The biggest drawback is that it's keeping me away from work because I just want to use it all day!